Acoustically aided HMI for ROV navigation

Majority are ROVs underwater vehicles with relatively slow dynamics virtually providing a ROV pilot extra time to perform other tasks, such as inspections and arm operation. However, with many tasks performed simultaneously with flying the relevant information is typically dispersed on a number of screens overloading the pilot's visual channel. Therefore, mishaps are likely to occur. To improve pilots’ perception of its surroundings and to unload their visual channel, a new method called AD AR (Audio Augmented Reality) which combines the concept of Augmented Reality with virtual audio-video user interface, is proposed. In this paper, the feasibility of proposed method used as an aiding tool for navigation is investigated. All experiments are performed on the state-of-the-art, realistic ROV simulator developed by Mobile & Marine Robotics Research Centre, ECE Department, University of Limerick, Ireland.